Indicator



Oct. 28, 1930. N, VAN slCKLEN, JR 1,779,684

INDICATOR Filed Jan. 15, 1929 Patented Oct. 28, 1930 PATENT orties NORTON II. VAN SICKLEN, J R., OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VAN SICKLEN COR- IORATION, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE INDICATOR I Application led January 15, 1929.

My invention pertains to indicators and is more particularly adapted for, although not limited to, indicators designed for mounting on the instrument panel of an automobile to indicate the mileage at which the engine oil should be changed or the chassis bearings lubricated.

It is now common practice for owners and operators of automobiles and other automotive vehicles to change the lubricating oil usually carried in the crank-case of the internal combustion engine and to lubricate the chassis bearings atregular intervals, dependent upon the mileage traveled by the vehicle. l For example, it is a common practice to change the oil in the engine crank-case every thousand miles and Vto lubrioate the chassis bearings every five hundred miles. The owner or operator of the vehicle is prone to forget the mileage at which he last performed these operations and therefore the mileage at which these operations should be again performed7 and my invention is to facilitate the regular performance of these necessary duties in connection with the care and operation of automotive vehicles.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved indicator.

Another object is to provide a new and improved indicator particularly adapted for attachment to the instrument vpanel of an automobile and-adapted to indicate the mileage at which a certain duty necessary to the proper maintenance of the vehicle is to be performed.

Another object is to provide an indicator having a novel arrangement of indicating devices and wherein a minimum number of such devices will provide a maximum of flexibility in a minimum space.

Another obj ectis to provide a novel form of rotatable disk lfor carrying the indicia.

Another object is to provide novel means for' maintaining these disks inV selected position.

Another`r object is to provide novel means Serial No. 332,676.

for mounting these disks and maintaining them in proper alignment relative to each other.

Another obj ect is to provide novel means on the disks for facilitating their rotation.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

' Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front view of my new and improved indicator as it appears mounted in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the cover removed;

Fig.Y 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 anc- Fig. A is a section on line of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, my new and improved indicator has a base indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 and comprising a main bod j portion 2 terminating in sei Aicircular supporting portions 3 and 4 and projections 5 and 6 formed as laterally extending continuations of the supporting portions 3 and 4. The projections 5 and o lie in a plane parallel to the plane of the body portion 2 and are adapted for clamping against the instrument board of an automotive vehicle or other object by means of bolts or similar devices extending through the openings 7 and 8 provided in the projections 5 and 6, respectively.

Disk supporting members 9,10, 11 and 12 are punched out of the bo( y portion 2 and each of these disk supporting members carries a rotatable disk 13. I the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing each disk is shown as held upon its supporting element by a retention washer 1A ovei` which the upper end of the supporting element is iianged as indicated at 15 in Fig. 4. Each disk is preferably composed of stiff nonyielding material such as metal, and has a flat center part 16 surrounded by a beveled edge 17 forming a frustrum of a cone. The periphery of each disk is provided with a series of relatively large notches 18 and the upper face of each disk adjacent its periphery is serrated as shown at 19 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. J In a preferred form of the invention the upper faces of the disks Y. are painted white and the beveled edges of the disks vare each provided with a series of red numerals ruiming consecutively from to 9, both inclusive.

rEhel body portion 2 is also provided with an upwardlyV extending flange indicated by the referencenumeral in F ig. l and se` cured to this flange by a rivet or otherwise is avspring 2l having sharp projections 22 or'coacting with the notches 1S to hold vthe disks in any desired position. -The spring 2l is also provided with rearwardly ext-ending portions 23 intermediate the projectionsV 22 andserving as resilient supports for forcingtheY projections 22 into the various disks. y

In order to shorten my indicator and make it less expensive to manufacture, I use one less disk than the total number of digits exposedl to view, and in place ot a rotatable disk tov indicate the number of unitsI suhstitute a single lixed plate 24: whichv projects over the disk mounted onthe supporting element 12. VVThis fixed plate 24 has a toot 25 secured to the body portion 2 by Arivets or similar fastening means. The upper faceof, -this plateis also :painted white and bears a single 'red zero thereon. Itjwill be understood, of course, that my inventionis not limited to red and white as colors for thenumerals and the upper faces of the parts which carry thenumerals but that any other con-y trasting colors may be used.

. The disks 13 are mounted with their flat central portions lying at an angle to. the body portion 2 and so arranged that the lefthand edge of each disk, as viewed in Fig. 3, rests upon the fiat center portion'of the adjacent disk. Guide iingers26 are punched up from the body portion 2 .and prevent rocking oit' the .disks in a plane transverse to the lengthwise axisof the body portion 2. A

vs ecial Guide finger 27is also rovided for the left-hand'edge of the last rotatable disk. An examination of F ig. 3 shows that my novel` shape of rotatable disk permits overlapping of Vthese disks without danger that the upper'disk will wear away the painted numerals from the face ot the disktherebeneath, since the numerals-are paintedon the bevelededges of the disks and the upper faces of these beveled edges are not in contact with thebottom surfaceof the overlapping disk. r j v n My new and improved indicator is providedwith a cover 28 which `masks all except theselected numeral on each disk and the ,zero on the .fixed plate. This coverjis prorlvid'edwith an attractive finish in order: to y.enhance'the appearance of the device. viV'Ihe lower edge of the cover yis cut away at 29 to the notches 18-k of Having thus described a preferred ein-v Vbodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure ley-United States Letters PatentisiY 'l l l. In an indicator of the class described, a base, a plurality of rotatable discs mounted on said base,jeach rdisc having a flat central portion and a' beveldedge portion, and numeralsspaced about the edge portion :of each disc, one disc overlapping an adjacent disc andhaving its peripheral` edge contacting with the flat portionl of said adjacent disc,

whereby the under side of the overlapping joining disc. Y

r2. vIn an indicator of the class described, a

disc isv spaced from the numerals on said ad base includingsupports orfmo'unting saidv .base/'on an automobile@ plurality o'frotataj Yble metal discs mounted on portions struckvup from said base, :each disc ,havingV atlaticentral portion and a beveled edgeportion, and

numerals spaced about the edgeV portion of i each disc, one disc overlappingan adjacent discland havingits peripheral e'dge'contacting with the dat portionof said adjacent disc, `fingersy formed from said base for guidi ing said discs, astationa'ry member mounted on said base and yoverlappingV one of said discs, said stationary member having indicia thereon, and a cover exposing indicia on said stationary vmember and selected indicia on said `discs and urthervex'posing the edges of said discs to permit manual rotation thereof.

3. In apparatus oit the class described, the combination of a base, a plurality of rotata-r ble discscarried. by said base, each discvhaving a plurality ot notches spaced about its edge, a. member lrigid with said base and ly- Y ing substantially parallel to the edges of said discs .andspaced therefrom, anda single spring lfor engaging the notchesin all ofs'aid discs, said spring being secured to said mein- .ber and having forwardly projecting portions for engaging said notches, said spring :further i J havingjrearwardlyprojectingA supporting portions .intermediate said 4notch-engaging'portions andfsjpacedffroin the point Y of attachment of said springfto said member.

` e. In anindicator ofthe class described, a if base, apluralit'y of ldisc supportiii'g members punched fromsaid base, a plurality oft rotatable'd'i's'cs' carried byv said member, eachofsaid discs having a surface facing toward said base and a second surface lacing 'away troni ilo iao 

